Priscilla Queen of the Desert - Curve Review

The smash-hit musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert parks itself at Curve as part of it's current UK tour.

Miles Western (Bernadette), Joe McFadden (Tick/Mitzi) and Nick Hayes (Felicia/Adam).
Photo by Darren Bell

The delightful musical full of classic tunes, a hilarious script and tremendous performances. Right from the opening of "It's Raining Men" this show dazzles from the get-go.

Loosely based on the 1994 movie, we follow three drag queens as they unite for a trip across the Australian outback in a battered old bus they christen Priscilla.

Tick (alter ego Mitzi) is the main reason for the journey to Alice Springs. He aims to put on the show of a lifetime and meet his 6-year-old son for the first time. Joining Tick is recently widowed, Bernadette, the trip a welcome distraction and the flamboyant Adam (alter ego Felicia).

Along the way, there's more than a few bumps on the road but with the joyous soundtrack, it's a toe-tapping often hilarious journey. Numbers are enhanced by Phil R Daniels and Charles Cusick-Smith's stunning design and costumes. Ben Cracknell's lighting effectively adds to the visual of the production.

The Company of Priscilla. Photo by Darren Bell.

Tom Jackson Greaves has created stunning choreography, it's techincal and excellently performed by a highly talented company.

Joe McFadden is magnificent as Tick/Mitzi, he full of boundless energy and pleasant vocals. Miles Western is perfectly cast as Bernadette, he nails every beat of the character. Nick Hayes completes the trio and he too is fabulous. He dances and sings up a storm.

In the talented company, there's stunning vocals from the 3 divas played by Aiesha Pease, Claudia Kariuki and Rosie Glossop. Daniel Fletcher's mechanic Bob is lovely as friendship blossoms with Bernadette. Jacqui Sanchez has a memorable turn as Cynthia and Jordan Cunningham did a fine job understudying the roles of Miss Understanding/Jimmy.

The seven-piece live band under the musical direction of Sean Green are a joy. In a show containing numbers including "Boogie Wonderland", "Finally", "I Will Survive" and "Go West" the musicians sound fantastic throughout.

The show is a dazzling delight, a bundle of fun with a touch of sentiment. The audiences exploded in thunderous applause as the company perform a rousing finale. This is a bus ride you don't want to miss.

Rating: ★★★★★ - joyous and brilliant escapism. An explosion of glitter, sequins and happiness.

Priscilla plays at Curve until Saturday 2nd November, for tickets visit https://www.curveonline.co.uk/. The tour then continues with dates currently booking until May 2020 visit https://priscillauktour.com/tour-dates/ for venues and dates.

Rosie Glossop, Claudia Kariuki and Aiesha Pease as the Divas. Photo by Darren Bell.